Indonesia Pushes for Local Script Internet Domains, Prepares Launch at ICANN87

Indonesia, which boasts at least 26 Nusantara characters, has only three—Javanese, Balinese, and Pegon—registered as internet domain names. To address this, the Indonesian Internet Domain Name Manager (PANDI) is preparing to launch Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) based on Nusantara scripts. The plan aims for a presentation at ICANN87, a global internet governance forum, to be held in Bali in October 2026. PANDI is collaborating with the Ministry of Culture to facilitate the use of Indonesia's diverse regional scripts as internet addresses, thereby ensuring character diversity in the digital space and promoting the preservation and dissemination of regional cultures. The IDN system allows internet addresses to be written in characters other than Latin. This is expected to enable regional scripts to be utilized as valid and recognizable digital addresses. Currently, 44 countries globally use local character-based domain names, but Indonesia faces the challenge that most Nusantara characters have not yet been integrated into the system. Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, lauded PANDI's efforts, stating, "I appreciate the efforts of PANDI and the observer community who are trying to bring the Nusantara alphabet to remain present in the digital space." He emphasized the need for regional scripts to be used in daily life and introduced to the younger generation, rather than being confined to manuscripts or limited activities. He also advocates for the inclusion of Nusantara scripts as "local load" (regional curriculum) in school education. The development of IDN Nusantara Scripts also necessitates Unicode standardization and the establishment of Indonesian National Standards (SNI). PANDI plans to develop a digital ecosystem across four areas: regulation, technology, education, and utilization, with the goal of promoting the use of Nusantara scripts on websites and other digital services. Since 2019, PANDI has also organized writing and storytelling competitions using regional characters. As Indonesia hosts ICANN87, PANDI will have an opportunity to introduce Nusantara Aksara IDN to the international community. Furthermore, Minister Fadli has requested the transliteration and translation of inscriptions from various regions, made of stone, metal, or tin, aiming to expand public access to historical sources and preserve knowledge about ancient scripts.